“Crumbs of Wisdom from Yiddish Children’s Literature” is an interactive, intergenerational storytelling session that blends two delicious elements: the warmth of Yiddish and the comfort of carbohydrates. Together, we’ll sample the humor, heart, and timeless lessons tucked into Yiddish children’s stories, discovering how they nourish both body and soul. Bring along a loved one from another generation, and join us to taste the wit, wisdom, and whimsical charm of Yiddish culture—served with plenty of laughter and learning.

Miriam Udel is associate professor of German Studies and Judith London Evans Director of the Tam Institute for Jewish Studies at Emory University. She holds an AB in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and a PhD in Comparative Literature, both from Harvard University and was ordained in 2019 at Yeshivat Maharat.

Udel is the author of "Never Better!: The Modern Jewish Picaresque" (University of Michigan Press), winner of the 2017 National Jewish Book Award in Modern Jewish Thought and Experience. She is the editor and translator of "Honey on the Page: A Treasury of Yiddish Children’s Literature" (NYU Press, 2020), winner of the Judaica Reference Award from the Association of Jewish Libraries. Udel’s translation of Chaver Paver’s 1935 story collection "Labzik: Tales of a Clever Pup" will appear in 2026 with SUNY Press. This October, Princeton published her critical study Modern Jewish Worldmaking Through Yiddish Children’s Literature.

Her research looks to children’s literature and culture as a powerful force for political formation and a resource for the intergenerational transmission of culture, values, and ideology.